FACTORFIVE Skincare Regenerative Serum Versus Neocutis Bio Serum Firm

FACTORFIVE Skincare Regenerative Serum Versus Neocutis Bio Serum Firm

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Niacinamide to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

This serum is formulated around Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate to reduce redness and brighten.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Human Bone Marrow Stem Cell Conditioned Media

Water

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Glycerin

Niacinamide

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

PEG-8/Smdi Copolymer

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Xanthan Gum

Phenoxyethanol

Acetyl Octapeptide-3

Bis(Tripeptide-1) Copper Acetate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Lecithin

Acmella Oleracea Extract

Polysorbate 20

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Ethylhexylglycerin

Citric Acid

Disodium EDTA

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-37

Parfum

Human Bone Marrow Stem Cell Conditioned Media, Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, PEG-8/Smdi Copolymer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Bis(Tripeptide-1) Copper Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lecithin, Acmella Oleracea Extract, Polysorbate 20, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-37, Parfum

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Squalane

Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Cutaneous Lysate

Tetrapeptide-21

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 Acetate

Butylene Glycol

Pullulan

Acetyl Glucosamine

Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Polysorbate 60

Proline

Arginine

Glycine

Glutamine

Chlorphenesin

Nannochloropsis Oculata Extract

Capryloyl Carnosine

Poloxamer 338

Silica

Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2

Dextran

Sorbitan Isostearate

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Tocopherol

Sodium Hydroxide

Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Squalane, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Cutaneous Lysate, Tetrapeptide-21, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 Acetate, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pullulan, Acetyl Glucosamine, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Polysorbate 60, Proline, Arginine, Glycine, Glutamine, Chlorphenesin, Nannochloropsis Oculata Extract, Capryloyl Carnosine, Poloxamer 338, Silica, Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2, Dextran, Sorbitan Isostearate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopherol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.

This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:

On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.

One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).

Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.

You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.

Topically, glycerin does several things at once:

Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.

Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.

This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.

Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!

Similar Comparisons